Five-story 87-unit building proposed for Poughkeepsie

A New Jersey-based construction company is proposing to build a five-story building with 87 residential units in Poughkeepsie at an estimated cost of $9.3 million. ARGO Development of Montvale, N.J., wants to build on a 2.76-acre site that is on the west side of South Avenue between South Avenue and Route 9.

The building would have 87 units, all one-bedroom apartments, along with 60 parking spaces in a single-level underground garage and an additional 84 parking spaces on the surface. The project is in the Research and Development District and land uses within 1,000 feet of the project include office buildings, single-family houses, Central Hudson Gas & Electric facilities and wooded open space.

Michael Abuladze, CEO of ARGO, told the Poughkeepsie Planning Board, “We do development from New York City all the way up to upstate New York. We recently completed a 34-unit apartment building in Monroe, New York. We’ve done multiple projects in New Jersey, Bergen County, and we are looking to expand ourselves in the Poughkeepsie area.”

Christopher Lapine of the Poughkeepsie-based construction engineering firm LaBella Associates said, “The building will be equipped with balconies for each room and there is a nice outdoor gathering area located in the front of the building. The particular project access will be via South Avenue.”

The building’s exterior would include brick, insulated metal panels and stone.

Lapine said that the developers met with Poughkeepsie’s fire department personnel to discuss vehicular access and to receive their input regarding the location of landscaping. He said the fire department discouraged the addition of trees along South Avenue because that’s where the fire department would be staging equipment in event of a fire.

“We think this proposed development represents a significant investment in the South Avenue corridor and it’s also looking to leverage existing businesses and medical uses in the area in terms of providing housing for employees,” Lapine said. “We believe the plan that’s before you is certainly meeting the goals of the Comprehensive Plan as this is a new neighborhood that’s providing easier commutes in terms of either by foot, bike or mass transportation as well as allowing the residents to experience the perfect balance of city life here in Poughkeepsie with its multiple venues, restaurants and retail shopping as well as relaxation.”

Some members of the Planning Board expressed concerns that having 84 ground level parking spaces would require paving over a lot of land that could be reserved as open space. When it was suggested that the developer consider using robotic equipment to stack cars in multiple levels Abuladze said he had already looked into that possibility but rejected the idea.

“It takes about 176 seconds to get a car,” Abuladze said of the robotic equipment. “Of my 87 people, if 10 of them used a robotic parking garage, the tenth would have to wait 30 minutes to get his car. If you’re the twentieth in the line, you’re an hour away before you receive your car. I got quotes and everything but as soon as they told me how long it takes to get the car I said ‘no go.'”

Abuladze was asked to review the way parking is handled in the project with a view to creating more open space at the rear of the building, including putting more cars underground or asking for a zoning variance to reduce the number of parking spaces required. Abuladze said he has been talking with a neighboring property owner about the possibility of acquiring more land that could be used for open space.

Poughkeepsie’s planners intend to continue reviewing the project in January and possibly schedule a public hearing on the proposal for February.